Post by Smith Jones on Jan 25, 2020 21:53:01 GMT -5
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Fade up on a shot of the back of Smith Jones’ shiny white robe with sparkly silver trim. It is an elegantly embroidered representation of God Himself, a silver-haired, fully bearded head floating in the clouds above, looking down upon humanity. How far they’ve strayed from what he had originally intended them to be. Tsk. Tsk. Jones’ voice is heard as we look at the face of God… or, maybe it’s Santa? Jones breathes slowly and deeply. His voice comes out as a sharp whisper.
“Who doesn’t like a good joke?”
He bites hard on the inside of his cheek as he slowly turns to a side profile to camera. The camera zooms out more so we can now see that Smith is in a dark hallway with concrete walls. Lighting is very, very low. We see hints of the details of Smitty’s face by way of white light coming in at an odd angle. Smith stares off at nothing as he thinks about how close he is to exploding. His breathing stops and his throat constricts. The tension in his shoulders is evident as he speaks on.
“I seem to remember it thusly, and do correct me if I’m wrong: my very first act as your World Champion was to step over the lifeless Zombie carcass I had just flattened and retrieve my sweet gold belt. I get it. The World Title does have a horrid history. The first champion… died… to avoid facing the vastly improved version of me. The most recent champion walked out on us, might as well have dumped it in a trash can. Yeah, McMorris. I’m the only one who’s made any real effort to remain champion and I have done NOTHING to prove that I’m even the best guy of the three who’ve held it! What a joke. Eh? Eh, McMorris? My sixty-three days as champion over you, (because as I’ve mentioned, it was indeed you I beat for the Alpha World Championship -- funny joke, el-oh-el) those sixty-three days when I became the longest reigning World Champion to date, those days now mean nothing. Because you’re going to allow Dean Wolf’s hissy fit rage quit turn our World Title into a joke. One guy can topple the entire division like Jenga. Because the Alpha Rumble wasn’t a huge, massive success at all, was it? All of those people who signed contracts and threw their hats into the ring to compete for a chance to face ME at 2020 Ways To Die, they all signed up for nothing. Did you not mark out even just a little bit when Lucy Sixx came back for a shot at the big gold?! Oh, wait. She pried your cold, dead hands from the ropes and sent you tumbling to the lava floor below. Thanks, Lucy. I didn't feel like beating ZMAC for the APW Championship a second time anyway. Hn.
And Venable, the winner. How funny is it that he is wasting his talent and his time on becoming APW Champion? Big joke, huh? And, sorry, how many people showed up to brawl for that Hardcore Title you’re all woody about? Say again? Flop fried your penis and ate it? Did that happen, skidmark? Be proud of yourself all you want. I just don’t get it. I must be out of my damned mind or something.”
The rage in Jones’ face is still quite evident, even from this side profile. His arms are bent with his hands curled upward like guilty claws. He ponders the havoc that he is prepared to bring to reality to regain The World Championship.
“Who in the world do we think we are?! To just take it for granted that our World Title is ever going to mend itself. Someone has to stand up and kill the curse.”
Jones’ voice gets louder and louder and his hand motions become wilder.
“THAT is why there were thirty superstars (INCLUDING YOU) killing themselves and each other not even for the title itself, but simply for the CHANCE to fight for the title. How did FPV take it when you told him that he is wasting his time coming at me for what I still like to think of as the big gold here in APW? Did you tell him to stop wasting his time and go back to Action Wrestling? Heck, I dunno, maybe it really was an accident when Frank clocked you with the BOOM! HEADSHOT!
...or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe that was his way of telling you that your two belts are not on his radar and that you should step out of the way and watch as he and I top the card at 2020 Ways 2 Die. Because, as anyone with eyes can see, FPV didn’t win that Rumble by accident. He fired one heck of a shot, upending longtime wannabe contender Arthur Pleasant to become the man to face the incredible Smith Jones in a Falls Count Anywhere Match for the APW Championship!!!”
Jones turns further to camera, keeping his head low, his eyes looking slightly up to meet the lens.
“As I have already evidenced by my actions, I am NOT going to sit idly by and allow the actions of others dictate the future of the Alpha World Championship. It is true that I haven’t done enough to prove that I am the best possible champion in this locker room. I haven’t beaten enough high profile opponents. I need to beat more ZMACs, more Zy Simmonses, more Frank Patrick Venables! Because as long as everyone knows that I’ve never beaten either of the other former champions, I will never be seen as the REAL World Champion. I know that there are more people out there than just the vocal ones who see all of my hard work as a colossal waste of time.”
Smith begins to walk down the dark hallway. Two dark figures follow not far behind Smith. They are blurry and out of focus, so it is not distinctly clear who they are, but I’m sure most APW fans have some idea.
“Falls Count Anywhere is my very favourite stipulation, aside of course from regular One Fall Singles Matches. In a Falls Count Anywhere, there is the potential to end the match at ringside or on the rampway or the stage… or maybe out there amongst the APW fan base. You’d all love that, wouldn’t you? There is the potential to beat your opponent senseless in front of their loved ones; in front of their kin. I could hand deliver you. Drop you directly at Irina Ivanova’s well clad feet and reach out for her to hand me the title right there, wherever she may happen to be at the moment. Falls Count Anywhere is the type of match where weapons are allowed, but not required. And I do not intend to pick up random items and try to put them through your brain. No.
I am going to hit you with a random spinebuster on the cold concrete backstage. I’m going to hit you with a DDT on top of a sewer grate. Envision it. That’ll smart sum’m fierce. I’m gonna throw you with a fallaway slam against the concrete wall right where the fire extinguisher is still mounted to the wall. You get me, Mister Venable? I do not plan to pick up random pieces of the environment and throw them at you. I plan to throw you at the environment… repeatedly… until your lifeless body shivers its very last twitch.”
Smith Jones arrives at his destination. He stands tall on the dimmed interview set in front of the APW logo. The shadowy figures step further into the light, but the camera doesn’t focus on Collins or Warrens. We zoom in super close to Smith’s face. His ridged brow ripples with thinly suppressed internal energy.
“Don’t get me wrong, FPV. It’s not that I don’t see what kind of threat you are. I’ve been watching you try to take over the world for months now and I am amply impressed. You truly are a Man Made God. You wanna be Alpha World Champion? I want to break you. You have already proven to me that you will come at me with great force backed by veritable talent. Veritably Venable. Feel free to use that.”
He chuckles and then gets deadly serious.
“I’m already the longest reigning APW World Champion so far. Sixty-three days. Do better. I’m already the only one in all of APW who is officially stepping up to fight to make our World Championship shine for the fourth time. I’ve already defeated a litany of high level, high profile, highly skilled fighters in title matches and non-title matches along the way. I didn’t ask to be the face of anything. I am the face of APW by nature. You wanna build a bridge between Action Wrestling and Alpha Pro Wrestling? It’s good to dream big. That way, it makes a bigger crash when I crush it with a pinpoint perfect Point of Controversy anywhere I damned well choose!!! You couldn’t possibly imagine the incredible journey I’ve gone through to get to this point. Do all the homework you want. Go ahead! You couldn't possibly catch up on all that tape! You will never know the half.
Good luck forging a stellar career like mine after I’m done with you.”
He closes his eyes and takes a moment to appreciate the images of destruction floating through his head. He smiles. Smith takes a deep breath and opens his eyes upon exhale. That signature stone scowl stares straight ahead.
“You and I are both top level competitors, Franky Pat, but there can be only one Alpha World Champion. And by a mere stroke of fortuitous coincidence, there is only one Smith Jones. I’m walking out of Death Valley ten pounds heavier. Stop me.”
Jones ponders some of the thoughts that have gone through his head the past few weeks leading up to this pay-per-view. He shakes his head and sighs deeply.
“Frank, you’d be surprised at some of the things I’ve said out loud to people close to me this week. The amount of time I’ve spent doubting whether or not I have what it takes to beat FPV at his very best. I’ve been stand-offish with my girlfriend. I’ve been unstable in the company of my peers. I’m shook! You are in the prime of your career. Full of fire and ready to collect all the gold you can in the face of anyone who tries to get in your way. I… gosh, Venable, I envy the inherent fire deep within you that gives you absolute confidence that you will always win. This week, I’ve been prone to doubt.
When I look back at my championship reign, I see it tainted by things I was never able to do. I was never able to beat Dean Wolf. That will haunt me all my days. I was never able to beat Jubei. Who in The World will I be if I cannot defeat you, Frank? It’s about the title, yeah. But, this is also about me knowing where I stand inside that ring. There was a part of me, man, that thought it might be a good idea for me to step aside and see what fresh new blood would do for this title. No new blood could possibly do what I've done for this title.”
The other two figures slowly move away as the camera zooms in closer and closer to Smith’s trembling face.
“Life is about perspective. I am the only one who stood up and picked that sweet gold belt up out of Masuda Jubei’s warm grave. I am the only one who has persevered through these trying times to be seen the world over as THE man to come and save the Alpha World Championship and I will be DAMNED to the DEPTHS of HELL if I am going to stand here and watch as you invade from Action Wrestling and try to build a bridge between these two companies. That is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Fuck that. I’ve done everything I can to make the Alpha Pro Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship mean something, and I would be an absolute idiot to do anything but defend its honour now.
You entered the Alpha Rumble at number nineteen and hung with guys like Zion Simmons, ZMAC, Arthur Pleasant… all of whom I’ve beaten. You beat out Raging Dead, Steven Osbourne, the returning Lucy Sixx! You faced my brother in arms, Lex Collins near the end of that Rumble, and still you won! That makes you the best man to face me for the title. But...”
Jones steps even closer to the camera. All we can see now are his icy eyes.
“...that doesn’t make you the best man to carry the Alpha World Title. I am and always have been the real champion of that title all along. Our stories become more and more intertwined with each person who tries to separate it from me. When I think about stepping aside to be seen as second best or third best or fourth best… well, let’s say it never sits well with me. Neither does the idea of some hashtag “two belts” coming into my home and threatening to fondle my things.
Let me be clear. I am not here to build a bridge between Action Wrestling and Alpha Pro. I am here to draw up the portcullis and ready the cannons. You have no idea, Mister Venable, how close you came to facing a lesser version of me this week. This is real talk right now. The very best kind. I have found renewed fire and vigour in my quest to be the very best APW Champion that I can be. So, go ahead and play God with your buddy over in AW. Throw lightning bolts at kittens for all I care!!! That’s not my turf. APW is my turf and there is NO ONE in this world that’s going to take it from me.
Try.”
He turns and steps away from the camera for a beat. We stare at the face of God on the back of Smith’s robe. He turns to the side and looks offscreen.
“Everybody and their dog these days with the two belts hashtags… Makes me sick to my stomach! I’ve never, ever been a two belts kind of wrestler. In all my nine years, never have I ever held two belts at once. And that is BY CHOICE! I was never PCW Broadcast Champion and XWA World Television Champion at the same time. I did them separately. I was never EPW World Champion and SCW Heritage Champion at the same time. I did them separately. Each title on my curriculum vitae represents a different era in my career. They are my tattoos. They tell my story. They are cut deep into my flesh; into my soul. Each one is unique to me. I have too much respect for the gold to think that I can dedicate myself fully to more than one at a time.
I came so close, Frank, to doubting myself enough to fight you at less than one hundred percent. That almost happened. The thing that brought me back from the brink was knowing that if I don’t give everything I have to this match, everything I’ve done to this point will have been for naught. I have no choice but to fight you with all I’ve got. I must give everything I have to make Zombie RESPECT my World Championship always. To make my brothers in arms, The Architects, respect the company they signed up to work for. To make the fans respect the mat we wrestle on. I don’t lace up my boots for nothing. It’s not a good thing for you that you made me doubt myself, FPV. Now, all I want to do is beat your smug little face to a bloody pulp for all to see. I want to erase the nights I sat up worrying that I don’t have what it takes to beat you. I have what it takes to beat you and I will. I don’t know why the fans love you so much more than they love me. I don’t. I do not get it. That only drives me to harm you even more. No matter which version of Smith Jones you’ve happened to know along the way, it has always been true since day one that I always want to make an impact on the face of this business. That is not gonna change.
I know now more than ever that I will NEVER GIVE UP on telling my story the way I want it to be told!!! This is a lesson for anyone who feels like they can’t do it anymore. Like the pressure of life is just too much and you don’t think you can fend off another great challenge. The fact is that you can. I can. And I will. I’m going to drown the doubt again like I always do and show the world… and show myself… that I deserve to be your first-ever two-time Alpha Pro Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion. I can do anything. Watch me.
I’ve heard that there are 2020 ways to die, Mister Venable.”
Fade to black.
“I only need to find one that fits you.”
